Structural unit



Aug. 13, 1957 E. E. ROBERTS 2,802,551

STRUCTURAL UNIT Filed Nov. 19, 1953 Fie..6.

IN VEN TOR.

I f 6 E vm E. ROBERTS,

I III M l nite States 2,802,551 STRUCTURAL UNIT Ervin E. Roberts, FortLauderdale, Fla. Application November 19, 1953, Serial No. 393,070 7Claims. (Cl. 189-34) An object of the present invention resides inproviding a substantially rigid unit that is stamped or otherwise formedto provide a plurality of dovetail sockets that are equidistantly spacedalong the unit and with the sockets opening in opposite directions ateach side of the unit and with the sockets of each side being staggered.

A further object of the invention resides in forming a structural unithaving the oppositely disposed sockets of dovetail shape and with all ofthe sockets being parallel and transversely of the unit and with theintermediate portions of the unit between the several dovetail socketsbeing likewise of dovetail shape and with all of the dovetail socketsand the intermediate dovetails adapted to have a snapping engagementwith a plurality of flexible members that jointly form a cover and withall of the members being identically spaced apart and parallel and withthe members as supported upon opposite sides of the unit being instaggered and overlapping relation.

A further object of the invention resides in forming a structural unitof the character described whereby a plurality of such units arepreferably employed in predetermined spaced and parallel relation forjointly supporting a plurality of cover forming slats or strips and withthe several supporting units securely holding the slats r strips intheir parallel relation over a predetermined area to be protectedwithout the use of screws, rivets or other fastening devices.

The device readily adapts itself to the easy and convenient assembly ofsuch devices as protective awnings, patio shelter roofs, protectivescreens for privacy, partition Walls, slat houses and many otherfabricated panels and the cover slats or strips are flexible in that theslats only may be used with the units in the alternate and overlappedrelation to provide shelter devices that aflord positive protectionagainst the passage of rain therethrough, yet permit the freecirculation of air past the slats. Various combinations are possiblewith respect to the slat assembly and presents a structural unit thathas a wide variety of uses.

Details of constructions and combinations will be more clearly apparentduring the course of the following description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated the preferredembodiments of the device and wherein like characters of reference areemployed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a preferred form ofstructural unit with a fragmentary showing of associated cover formingelements,

' Figure 2 is a side elevation of the unit with certain of the coverforming elements in assembled relation therewith, I

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Figure 2, butillustrating the cover elements in a ventilated assembly,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the structure of Figure 4,

atent fied form of ventilating cover element and,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of unit.

7 Referring specifically to the-drawings and particularly to Figures 1to 6 inclusive, the numeral 5 designates a structural unit as a whole,formed of a continuous strip of metal of any desirable length. The strip5 is flat and of a desirable width and thickness. The unit 5 constitutesa supporting medium for a plurality of cover forming elements and theuse of the units 5 will normally be in multiple and spaced apart inparallel relation in accordance with the overall area of the cover.

Each unit is stamped, pressed or otherwise shaped to form oppositelydisposed dovetail openings or sockets 6, with the sockets beingequidistantly spaced and with the sockets at opposite sides of the unitbeing staggered with respect to each other. The forming of the sockets6, provides inwardly inclined Walls 7, connected at their tops bystraight wall sections 8. A wall section 9, constitutes the commonbottom for the oppositely disposed sockets. The wall sections 8 and 9are parallel and equidistantly spaced apart. The wall sections 8, withthe walls 7, constitute dovetail connectors 10, for intermediate coverchannels, to be described. As clearly apparent, the unit is reversiblefor identical use on either side.

In Figure 3, there has been illustrated a fragmentary top plan view of apartially assembled cover device, wherein two of the units 5 are servingas connecting battens for the cover members. The cover members, hereillustrated as elongated and preferably metallic slats 11, formed of adesirable non-rusting material, are normally slightly bowed, as shown inFigures 1 and 2, and these slats have a normal width slightly greaterthan the greatest width of the sockets 6. At assembly, the slats areengaged along one edge within the sockets of the several units 5, afterwhich the slat is further bowed until its opposite edge snaps within theopposite sides of the sockets and, upon release will be firmly held inthe sockets under suflicient tension to prevent their disengagementunder the influence of high winds. With the slats installed, as inFigure 2, their top portion will lie sub- 1 its inner and outer areas.

stantially flush with the top of the wall sections 8. Where the severalslats 11 are employed to form a ventilated awning, roof or similardevice, they will readily permit the flow of air upwardly or downwardlyin the directions of the arrows in Figure 5. When employing the slats 11only as the cover elements, they will be bowed in opposite directions byvirtue of the oppositely disposed sockets 6, thus positioning theseveral slats in overlapping relation to prevent the passage of watertherepast. Water striking the uppermost slats will enter the lowermostslats and be drained away, yet offering no interference to the freecirculation of air.

It is contemplated, that awnings, roofs, partitions or other panelsshall be formed that is entirely closed over For this purpose,intermediate channel members 12 have been provided. These channelmembers 12 are substantially dovetail in crosssection and aredimensioned to have a dovetail snapping engagement over the dovetailconnectors 10. The terminal edges of the side walls of the members 12are bent outwardly to lie parallel with the Wall sections 9 at assembly.The channel members 12 are formed of any desirable material, similar tothe slats 11 and are flexible for permitting of a snapping engagementwith the connectors 10. In the useof these intermediate cover members12, with the several units 5 positioned in properly spaced and parallelrelation, the members 12 are positioned in overlying relation to thealigned connectors 10 of the spaced apart units 5 and then, sufficientforce placed thereon as have a firm seating connection therewith, withtheir flanges lying fiat upon the walls 9. After all of the intermediatecover members 12 havebeen installed, "the several slats 11 .arefiexedand snappedinto position with .their opposite .edges firmlybearingagainst the members 12 at the point of bending for forming .theflanges. Thus, a continuous :coveris provided that is effectually sealedagainst the entry .of air :or water. The assembly of .the cover with theintermediate .channel members 12, forms a very effective interior-airchamber calculated to be. most desirable as :an insulator.

The use of the slats 1 1 and intermediate members 12 willbc ornamentalin appearance and the .members 12 maybe formed of materials other thanmetal, such .as plastic and may he also formed opaque, :translucent ortransparent and in a variety of colors, thus permitting a multiude ofcombinations that-enhance the appearance of the device. It is'possiblethat, with the members 12 formed translucent .or transparent, suitableilluminating means may be installed within the air chamber formed by theinner and outer spaced covers to further provide for ornamentation.The'interrnediate channel members may also be formed of 'foraminousmaterial, .such as insect screening, shown at 13 inFigure 6, thuspermitting the unit to support a completely covering device that permitsof the circulation of air therethrough, while .at the same'tim'eexcluding insects.

The modified form .of the device shown in Figure 7, is identical in allrespects to the unit 5 alreadydescribed, with the exception thatthesockets '6 of the inner and outer sides are spaced a greater distanceapart. This has been possible by bending the intermediate walls 9 toform angularly disposed .leg portions 14, having a length desirablefor'the spacing apart of the inner and outer-sockets 6. The greaterspacing of the sockets by the legs 14 is calculated to be such as toform a partition wall of the recognized thickness commonlyemployed inbuildings. Further, it provides a stronger wall section when employed asanexternal wall for slat houses, for

fences or the like. The greater spacing of the wall .or cover 'tnembersfurther provides an interior air chamber capable of being filled withconcrete, with the cover members 1 1 and 12 effectively constituting theforms and the units 5 constituting 'the reinforcing.

The forming of the units; 5 of fiat metallic strips permits them to bedeformed to follow the curvature of columns or the like, withouteffecting the mounting of the slats 11 or the intermediate members 12.The strips forming the units-5 will be made in any .desirable length tobe cut for .any particular type of cover or wall structure.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very simple and highlyflexible structural unit has been provided to serve as a connectingbatten for a plurality of parallel cover forming slats. It is quicklyand easily assembled and just as quickly and easily disassembled. Thecover forming slats and intermediate members are merely snapped intoseating engagement and will 'be securely held in the assembled relationwithout the use of "bolts, screws or other fastening devices. The unitis extremely cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and highlyeffective for its various purposes.

It is to be understood, that while various embodiments of the devicehave been shown and described, changes are contemplated in the preciseshape and size of the sockets and their spacing and such other changesas readily fall within the spirit of'the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

"Having-described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

'1. A structure of the character described for fabricating a coverdevice wherein a plurality of cover forming slats -'are supported inspaced 'apart parallel relation and with certain'of-the-slats being'instaggered and overlapping relation to the other slats, the unitcomprising an elongated strap that is shaped to provide a plurality ofequidistantly spaced and opposite disposed transverse sockets throughoutits length, the oppositely disposed sockets being staggered with"respect to each other, each of the sockets adaptedto have a snappingseating engagement with transversely bowed slats whereby the slats aresupported within .the sockets under tension and means between each ofthe sockets to form a connector that has a snapping engagement withchanneled strips that form an intermediate 'covcr element that isparallel with the cover formingslats.

2. The device-according to claim 1, wherein the unit forming strap isflat and relatively wide and relatively rigid, :the several socketsbeing=dovetail in shape.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the unit 4. A device of thecharacter described whereby to :form a chatten 'for :fabricating a coverdevice wherein a plurality of substantially identical elongated coverforming slats are supported inspacediapart and parallel relation and theslats forming an inner and an outer spaced apart-cover and with theslats .of the inner and outer cover being in staggered and overlappingrelation, the device-comprising an elongated strap .that is bent to forma plurality of open and transversely arranged dovetail sockets disposedupon opposite sides of the strap and with the sockets upon the oppositesides being equidistantl-yspaced and staggered with relation to eachother, the said strap between the several sockets constituting adovetail connector for snapping and tensioned support of intermediatechanneled cover elements, the several slats being bowed transversely andformed of flexible material to have a flexing and tensioned engagementwithin the sockets, the several slats and the channeled elements beinginparallel and in'contacting engagement throughout their length whensupported by the sockets and .the connectors.

5. A cover-device comprising inner and outer layers of transverselybowed slats that are spaced apart and parallel and with the layers beingspaced from each other and parallel, intermediate channeled coverforming members disposed between the severalslats and having contactwith the marginal edges of the slats throughout their'length, the slatsof theinner and outer layers being staggered and .in overlappingrelation, rigid supporting means for the several slats and the channeledmembers that comprises acontinuous strap bent to form aplurality ofspaced apart open dovetail sockets that are disposed in oppositedirections fromthe opposite sides of the strap, the-sockets extendingtransversely of the strap and with the oppositely disposed sockets'beingin staggered relation, the'strap in those areas between the socketsconstituting dovetail connectors, the slats being flexible for bowedtensionedengagement in they sockets and the-channeled members beingflexible for tensioned snapping engagement'with the connectors.

-6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the channeledcover formingelements have their marginaledges flanged and whereinithe marginal edgesof the slats have a tensioned overlying engagement with the flanges whenthey are supported in the sockets whereby the several slats and thechanneled cover forming members provide a continuous closed 'cover.

7. The'device according to claim 5, wherein the .channeled cover formingelementsare formed of forarninous material for the circulation of airthrough the cover.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.31,795

